Original Broadcast Date: 04/05/26
DARPA is taking a fresh approach to one of the military’s most persistent challenges: how to sustain operations when traditional supply chains are no longer reliable. In this segment, William Mounfield, program manager for DARPA’s Fleetwood program, lays out a vision that turns an unlikely resource—biomass—into a strategic advantage for the future fight.
At the core of the conversation is the idea of “contested logistics.” Mounfield explains that future conflicts may limit the military’s ability to move fuel, materials, and supplies through conventional channels. If transportation routes are disrupted, the services need alternative ways to source what they need, closer to where they operate. That challenge is driving strong interest from across the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, and the Defense Threat Reduction Agency.
The Fleetwood program focuses on a simple but powerful concept: using biomass as a distributed, abundant resource to produce fuel and other critical materials. Biomass, in this context, includes agricultural and forestry waste—materials that are widely available around the world but often go unused. Mounfield points out that, on a carbon basis, the global supply of biomass far exceeds current oil production. The issue is not availability, but accessibility and usability.
He gives a striking example: regions like Indonesia produce massive amounts of agricultural waste each year, much of which is burned or left unused. With the right technology, that waste could potentially meet the full fuel and chemical needs of U.S. military operations in a given theater. This shift reframes biomass from a byproduct into a strategic asset.
A major technical focus of the program is lignin, a complex biopolymer found in plants. Lignin provides structural support to trees and vegetation, but it has long been considered difficult to process and of limited value. In industries like pulp and paper, it is often discarded as “black liquor” and burned for low-value energy. Mounfield highlights that this perception is changing. Lignin is actually the largest natural source of aromatic compounds, which are essential for producing plastics and other advanced materials.
The challenge lies in breaking lignin down and converting it into usable products. That is where the Fleetwood program’s emphasis on catalysis comes in. Catalysts enable the transformation of one material into another, and they are fundamental to modern chemical manufacturing. The program aims to develop new, robust catalysts that can efficiently extract lignin from biomass and convert it into a range of high-value outputs.
Unlike previous efforts funded by organizations like the National Science Foundation or the Department of Energy, which often targeted specific end products, Fleetwood is designed to be more flexible. Mounfield emphasizes the importance of expanding the range of possible outputs, giving the military more options depending on operational needs and available resources. This flexibility is critical when working with diverse biomass sources, from corn and wood in the United States to bananas and coconuts in other parts of the world.
Another key component of the program is understanding where different types of biomass are located and what they can produce most efficiently. Mounfield describes the idea of a global biomass map, which would identify regional resources and match them with optimal production pathways. This approach supports both efficiency and adaptability, allowing operators to make informed decisions about sourcing materials in different environments.
Fleetwood is also designed with collaboration in mind. The program’s recent industry day focuses on building multidisciplinary teams that bring together expertise from academia and industry. Participants share ideas, form partnerships, and begin tackling what Mounfield describes as a complex and challenging problem. The strong response from both sectors signals broad interest in advancing this capability.
Beyond its military applications, the program has clear implications for the broader bioeconomy. Today, bio-based production is often limited to a narrow set of products. Mounfield envisions a future where a much wider range of chemicals and materials can be produced domestically from biological sources. This shift could reduce reliance on foreign supply chains and strengthen industrial resilience.
Importantly, many of these materials have dual-use applications. The same plastics, composites, and advanced materials used in defense systems are also found in everyday consumer products. By enabling local production both in operational environments and at home, Fleetwood supports both national security and economic growth.
As with any DARPA initiative, the program includes clear metrics for success. Teams must demonstrate not only technical feasibility—such as efficient extraction and conversion—but also economic viability. The goal is to move beyond laboratory breakthroughs and toward solutions that can be scaled and deployed in real-world settings.
Mounfield also places Fleetwood in the context of DARPA’s broader history in bio-based innovation. Earlier programs, like the agency’s biofuels efforts, helped establish markets such as synthetic aviation fuel. Fleetwood builds on that legacy by addressing remaining gaps and pushing the boundaries of what is possible with biological resources.
In this segment, Mounfield presents a forward-looking vision that blends science, strategy, and practicality. By turning waste into valuable resources, DARPA is not just solving a logistics problem—it is redefining how the military thinks about supply, resilience, and the materials that power both defense and daily life.